A Band of Gold
by RogueTwin
Summary: If you wake up in a different time, in a different place...could you wake up a different person?


Hey everyone this is gum_addict. 

This is my first fanfic, so I appreciate any and all reviews. Personally I hope that the actual show turns out to be nothing like the first part of this fic. Syd and Vaughn are just too perfect. I had originally planned for this to be the only chap, so if you want more, tell me. Well that's all, enjoy.

M      a.k.a. G_A

**PG-13** just to be safe, this first chap isn't bad.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of it, J.J Abrams does. Of course I would love to own Vaughn but oh well. Tell me if he comes up for sale. :-P

I apologize for any misspelling or grammatical errors.

I also apologize for any information that maybe wrong. I have only seen the 2nd season finale and the re-runs so far, so if something from the other eps is wrong there let me know and I'll fix it.

Please review and feel free to email or IM me.

Enjoy.

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A Band of Gold 

"Vaughn… why are you wearing that ring?" Sydney questioned, her eyes widening a little.

"Syd… since that night… you were missing. You've been missing for two years."

"Vaughn, why are you wearing that ring?" She asked, louder this time.

"Syd, I thought you were dead."

"VAUGHN! WHY are YOU wearing that RING?!" She was practically shouting.

"Syd please-"

"Don't! Just answer me. Now." Her voice had dropped to an icy cold whisper. To Vaughn, this was worse than when she yelled.

Vaughn dropped his face into his hands. "I-I'm…married."

Sydney got up off the bed and walked into the corner of the room, her arms crossed protectively over her chest.

"Sydney I…" he didn't know what to say.

"Excuse me sir, miss, your plane has arrived to take you to LA."  Sydney turned as the man who had brought her here, stuck his head through the door.

"Come on, Syd." Vaughn walked up and gently touched her shoulder. She shook him off and looked at him, her dark eyes blazing, before she turned and left the room.

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Vaughn sat leaning against the armrest in the small private plane, watching her across the aisle from him. She hadn't said anything since they left the safe house. The plane had been in the air for nearly an hour already.

Finally he heard a small voice from across from him, utter one word…

"Sloane?"

"He escaped and we have yet to find his whereabouts."

There was a long pause.

"Mom?"

"Irina escaped as well. The CIA believes she may be with Sloane and also believes that she knows of your disappearance."

"Dad?"

"He's been working like hell to find you and Sloane."

**Me _and Sloane_. ** She thought bitterly. **There's someone else you should be asking about. ** Said the little voice in the back of her mind. **No I'm sure _he's_ perfectly fine. Perfectly happy with _her_. ** 

Vaughn waited, dying to hear her voice again. When he didn't, he got up and stood next to her.

"Can I sit down?" he asked motioning to the seat beside her. She shrugged her shoulders the slightest bit. Taking that as a yes he sat down and looked at her through the corner of his eye. Before he even got a word out she stood and walked quickly toward the back of the plane, towards the restrooms.

            He followed after her, putting his foot in the door to stop her from shutting it in his face.

"Leave." She said icily, not looking at his face.

"Sydney, look at me." 

She complied. He almost wished she hadn't. Her once warm chocolate eyes were filled with emotion. Betrayal, hurt, anger, sadness, disbelief, and what was it? Love? Hate? He couldn't tell.

"You've barely said three words to me since we left. We need to talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about," she spat at him. "You're married, I've missed two years of my life, and just killed my best friend. There's _nothing_ to talk about."

"Sydney I don't want to hurt you."

"Oh yeah? TOO LATE NOW!!" She screamed at him. "You didn't want to hurt me?" once again she was whispering, each word hissed cruelly towards him. " Tell me _Agent_ Vaughn-" He flinched visibly at her words "when have you ever lost the one person you love with your entire body, heart, and soul? When? NEVER!" and with that she shoved him back and slammed the door.

"YOU'RE WRONG SYDNEY!!!! I HAVE LOST THAT ONE SPECIAL PERSON! When? When?? Two years ago. When I walked in to your apartment to find it in total mayhem, with Will nearly bleeding to death in the bathtub, Francie dead in your bedroom, and you… you seemingly missing from the face of the earth. Do you know how much that killed me?? To realize that if I hadn't left you that night, if I had stayed and been with you that I could have stopped that? That I could of saved you?" Vaughn's voice had dropped from a roar to the barest whisper. He felt tears coming in the back of his eyes, but shook them away.

The words had the desired effect on her. Tears started welling up in her eyes. But she couldn't let him get away that easily. She had always been too stubborn for her own good. Why stop now?

"But you gave up on me, Vaughn. You married another woman. That's not how it was supposed to be. **WE** were supposed to bring down SD-6 and Sloane, and then **WE** were supposed to get married and have the life that **WE** always wished **WE** had. Together. No, its too late now, I guess YOU'RE living that wish already." Her words stung him.

"No Syd. I'm not living that wish. Far from it. The only woman I loved disappeared from my life two years ago."

" Obviously I've changed status in your book."

"What are you talking about??!! Sydney, I love you."

That did it. She couldn't believe he had the nerve to say that. Slowly she opened the door.

"How long?" She asked, anger etched into her face and voice.

"What?"

"How long have you been married to this woman?"

"Her name is Sandra."

"Fine. How long have you been married to _Sandra_?"

" Tomorrow, it would be… three days."

She stopped at his words. Three days. She was three days to late.

"Do you know what its like to get married, get to your honeymoon spot; and find out that the only woman you ever loved unconditionally is alive? Do you know how painful this is for me right now? Knowing that the love of my life is alive and I got married the day before?"

Her mind stopped. Her breathing stopped. Her heart stopped.

"Only…ever…love…unconditional…"

"Sydney don't you get it? I don't love Sandra the way I love you. She only holds part of my heart. Yes I love her, enough that I would marry her, but I never gave up on you Syd, I tried to continue my life as you would have wanted me to; I tried to make you proud of me, of how I was taking this. To make you happy has been the only thing I've wanted to do in all the years I've known you. Since you first walked in to the CIA with that red wig on. Don't you see? If I could I would erase the last few days and sit there, doing nothing until you called again. Sydney I love you. And nothing can change that. Please you have to understand. When you disappeared it was like I had died. I was just an empty shell waiting for something to happen. When I met Sandra it was like I was half full, never could I be complete until you were with me. Please Syd you have to understand, I need you to understand now. Because right now I'm dying again, Syd, I'm dying again." He collapsed to his knees in front of her, he couldn't stop the tears now. " Please, Syd, please." He whispered. He knew he wouldn't be able to take this again. With Syd mad at him, that was just as bad as when she disappeared. In fact it would be worse; being able to see her and knowing she was right there, but to have her not talking to him. Having her angry with him.

            Very slowly she kneeled before him and tilted his chin up to look at him. He stared into her brown eyes, welling up with tears, and could see the love in them, the love that still belonged to him; but behind it all, he could tell she still hurt.

" Oh, Vaughn. You have no idea how much I wish I could tell you how I feel… but you're married. And even though I've never met her, I can't do that to your wife. But please for the rest of the ride leave me alone to think about everything. I still haven't processed this all. Please, for me."

With that she got up and returned to her seat, thoughts racing through her head but one stuck out in them all… How much she wished she could have taken him in her arms and chased away all his sorrow. She wished she could wipe the tears away from his face and kiss him and show him just how much he meant to her.

Vaughn watched her take her seat. Still amazed at how strong she was. Very slowly he turned his head, looking down at his left hand he was surprised at just how much pain this one sign could cause. This was supposed to signify happiness. Yet instead the pain was unbelievable. _This little band of gold._

Okay please review. I don't know if I made Vaughn too mushy there but that's what I would do. Then again he is a guy… and a CIA agent… and a guy. Anyways your reviews are welcome. I don't really care about flames but constructive criticism goes a lot farther. If anyone has ideas on how I can improve my writing, writing style, or overall story please tell me. See the little box down there, it's calling your name. Bye.

G_A

This fic was beta-read by ~*Embyr_Dragon*~ and ~Insearchofmyjames~


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